Tribal Tattoos - Back From The Past

Polynesian - There are many different styles of Polynesian tattooing such as Maori, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian and Marquesan. Every island has its own style but the similar characteristics of them all are the bold black abstracts and figurative designs. Some popular Polynesian symbols include the shark, turtle, dolphin, manta ray, gecko and tiki. The meanings of these tattoos include traditions, tribal ancestors, tribe rituals, legends, proverbs, mythologies, social and religious values.

Maori - Traditional Maori tattoos are known as Ta moko and they consist of bold intricate patterns in distinctive curved shapes and spirals. The meanings of these tribal tattoos would celebrate important events throughout life and represent strength, courage and status. They depict nature as movements of rhythmic and cyclic patterns.

Hawaiian - These tattoos have been around for thousands of years and are usually very large and bold geometric designs. Some common shapes and symbols used are fish, birds, turtles, sharks, waves, rain and the sun. Hawaiian tattoos have meanings such as tribe membership, celebration, self expression and some are done simply for adornment.

Native American - Tattoos for the Native American people have more of a spiritual significance and represent a connection with the earth. Popular tattoos are animal tattoos such as the eagle which carries a great religious significance. The wolf is also a sacred tattoo design that is a symbol of loyalty and success. Some more Native American animal tattoos are: bears, coyotes, horses, owls, fox, deer, turtle and frogs. Another favored design is the kokopelli which is regarded as a symbol of fertility. Other Native American tattoos are designs that depict elements of nature such as fire, wind and water.

Tribal tattoo art is not only decorative and unique, but it represents the symbolism of traditional tribes and their cultures. These tattoos have been proudly worn for many years and they continue to grow in popularity every day.

I wrote the title of this article and quickly thought I had bitten of far more than I could chew, you see "tribal" as a tattoo genre was originally a diverse collection of many different ancient tribes and cultures across the world. It included Ancient Egyptian, Celtic, Maori, Samoan, Marquesan, Borneo, Filipino and Norwegian. But now the genre of tribal tattoos has become blurred in the modern age. Now it seems anything with black solid lines can be considered "tribal".

Tribal tattoos are generally abstract lines and shape designs, or they can echo the forms of plants or animals. Traditionally tribal tattoos tend to only use one color - black. The symbolism of tribal tattoos tends to revolve around concepts of power, strength, prowess and loyalty, hallmarks of the ideologies of the ancient cultures from whence they originated.

Each culture had it's own reasons for it's members getting tattooed. They included:

• to be looked after in the after life

• to connect with the Divine.

• as a talisman, a permanent amulet that cannot be lost.

• to enhance fertility

• to provide magical or medical protection.

• as a transition from boyhood to manhood

• to show status

• to tell stories of animals and the environment

• to commemorate the first kill

• to scare the enemy

All of these reasons were for a form of communication in one way or another when no written language existed.

It was tribes from Borneo considered getting tattoos as a physical and spiritual marker; they believed that the ink on their bodies would give them special advantage in the afterlife.

Samoan men had tattoos incorporated into the rituals that revolved around the transition from boyhood to manhood.